New AAI ALPA Strategy: Fire SWA Haters!

[Tripower455]

I never said "on the ropes" or "saved by SWA". Don't put words in my mouth. I made a simple comparison of the pictures of employment between AAI pilots and SWA pilots. You cannot refute that AAI pilots were in the midst of a labor fiasco with management, or that the picture of your overall employment, when compared with that at SWA, was not good.

Yes, I'm a SWA pilot. Excellent work. My point remains that I would be hard pressed to find a SWA pilot who would not be personally relieved to see this deal go away, and you would be hard-pressed to find an AAI pilot who be fine with the acquisition going away.

I'm just making a general observation.

Exactly! It illustrates "career expectation" very clearly.

 

[PCL_128]

Ahh, okay. So the tax advantage of two seperate LCC's (with the associated legal expenses for each) outweighs just combining AAI into SW?

Gary has thought two and three moves ahead, there is no way that would be accurate.

You vastly overestimate the expense to have these separate subsidiaries. There is a reason that holding companies and multiple subsidiaries are normal business practices for thousands of American businesses.

 

[Ty Webb]

You cannot refute that AAI pilots were in the midst of a labor fiasco with management, or that the picture of your overall employment, when compared with that at SWA, was not good.

Uh, yes I can refute that, Chief. My employment was A-OK, and I was/am in the top third of our seniority list. A good place to be.

Yes, I'm a SWA pilot. Excellent work. My point remains that I would be hard pressed to find a SWA pilot who would not be personally relieved to see this deal go away, and you would be hard-pressed to find an AAI pilot who be fine with the acquisition going away.

Yes, and I can see that you are also an FO, and prior to that, you were a 1900 pilot. I'm sure you are happy as a pig in poo, and wish this would go away, too. :crying: It's actually a good deal for you, but you can't see it yet. Stay tuned. Wait a few years.

A little more thankfulness and a little less entitlement would suit you well.

Uh, yeah. And how many years of SWA seniority and industry experience do you have? Just like to know who I'm taking advice from. :erm:

 

[madjack]

Ty,

It is not YOUR Captain seat...you will hold whatever seat your negotiated/arbitrated seniority allows you to...that is true for all SWA pilots...if you ended up on the SWA CP list, you would be ahead of FOs who have more longevity at SWA then you do at AAI and you will get a substantial raise. If this is not good enough for you then by all means vote no and see what the arbitrator comes up with...but many SWA pilots would love to be facing the "dilemna" that you are facing...

You have helped build a worthy competitor in AAI, and your efforts are being rewarded by the SWA/AAI Acquisition...At the end of the day, you cannot compare the career you will enjoy at SWA vs the one you MAY have had at AAI...that is just as disingenuous as "complaining"about the avg 5K/mo raise you will receive when you begin working under our pay rates...I feel better knowing you only represent yourself...

 

[Ty Webb]

Ty,

It is not YOUR Captain seat...you will hold whatever seat your negotiated/arbitrated seniority allows you to...

Thanks for stating the obvious . . . . I'm still looking for your point. Read my posts. They all say I am willing to accept what the SLI folks come up with.

You can't definitively say what would have been without this merger, either. Perhaps we would have been bought by Alaska or Delta? Don't think SWA was the only one that saw the value of our operation.

 

[SWA/FO]

A little more thankfulness and a little less entitlement would suit you well.

exactly. :cartman:

 

[madjack]

Ty,

You have the law on your side and you will be MUCH better off at SWA than you would have been at any other pax carrier, you know you are getting a great deal via this acquisition, not saying you didn't earn it and that good fortune was not on your side...but your gain may come at the expense of SWA pilots that have been in this business as long as you and have served at SWA longer than you have served at AAI..ALL current SWA pilots helped build the company and the contract that will give you and your family a significant boost in wealth...

 

[shootr]

Ty,

You have the law on your side...

Wrong! The law is on both of our sides. Again, madjack, you are too pessimistic about arbitration. Fair and equitable does NOT have to mean relative/DOH. Fair and equtable with no windfall can mean many things. Just because lots of guys on the other side (and fake Delta guys) state what you fear as truth, that doesn't make it the truth or the future. Call your NC guys and they'll give you more confidence (which you seem to need). Right now you need to be strong - not weak.

shootr

 

[madjack]

shootr,

If there was no M/B we would not be having this discussion...it would go ala Morris...M/B strengthens the position of the pilots at the "weaker" carrier...not pessimistic, just realistic...anything other than preferential interviews, a type req't, and starting at the bottom is in my opinion a great deal no current SWA pilot (or employee) ever got...

 

[redflyer65]

I have to agree with shootr on this one. The gains on the AAI are so lopsided that the aribitor won't turn a blind eye a list that long. No fears of arbitration what-so-ever. Review the Air Midwest SLI where the arbitor states that the QOL/pay gap was too vast to pull a realitive seniority award.

Gary's got a handle on how far he's willing to let this slide, because he knows if he doesn't it will get ugly fast with 6000 upset SW pilots. Show me were in M/B that says all new orders can't come to SW (already happening), and were routes/cities on the Guadalupe side can't be dropped. I think you're gonna see some smaller AAI cities that might have been weak sisters might not make the cut it in the SW world. I hope we don't lose any combined cities, but to say it's not a possiblity is to stick your head in the sand. Just like SW could incure more 'shoulder cuts' over the off season.